Scott & Pettitt
by babydykecate
Summary: Crossover with Lawless, a Sky Living pilot from 2013. Janet finds Lila in the bathroom after she's been assaulted, and helps her cope. Warning: Aftermath of a sexual assault.


Author Notes: I've always been a fan of hurt/comfort fics, and after watching the Lawless pilot, I thought it might be nice to have Janet comfort Lila.

Lawless was a Sky Living pilot in 2013, which sadly never got made into a series. Suranne Jones starred as Lila Pettitt, who has just been appointed Britain's youngest ever female judge, and the pilot goes through her first day. I've uploaded the pilot on YouTube if you would like to watch it before reading (search Lawless (UK), and make sure the filter is set to sort by upload date). Please note that the episode contains two scenes of workplace sexual assault.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Scott & Bailey or Lawless. No profit has been made, and no infringement is intended.

—

The moments before are a blur. The sound of the contents of her purse hitting the floor, his grip on her arm, his hot breath so close to her face. He moves in to kiss her, and she jerks her head away, accidentally slamming it into the pipe behind her.

Lila is dazed by the sudden pain, but faintly aware of the sound of the door opening.

"Hey, you're not meant to be in here! Get out, NOW!" She hears a woman shout.

She's still pretty out of it, so she's not sure how many minutes have passed before she realizes a blonde woman in her 50s is standing in front of her and has been trying to talk to her.

"Hey, he's gone, love. I locked the door to give you a moment of privacy. Are you alright?" the woman asks, handing Lila's purse back to her, the contents now retrieved from the floor.

"Yeah," Lila replies shakily, running her hand through her hair. Her fingers come back red and sticky.

"You're bleeding, why don't you let me help clean you up? I've got two girls who've given me plenty of first aid practice," the woman offers.

Lila nods slightly, allowing the woman to guide her to the sink and clean the gash with soap and water.

"There. That's as good as we're going to get without a plaster or Steri-Strips," the woman says as she finishes.

"Thanks," Lila replies, not meeting the woman's eyes, although she can feel them studying her with concern. "I'd better get back," she adds, hoping to quickly escape the woman's gaze and the shame that is building inside her. However, when she tries to go to leave, her knees start to give out beneath her.

"Woah there, why don't we just sit for a moment?" the woman suggests, steadying her.

"Right," Lila agrees, carefully lowering herself to the ground with help. A few minutes pass while Lila tries to sort out the million thoughts barreling down on her, not one offering her any relief.

"I'm Janet, by the way," the woman says, breaking the silence.

The thoughts clear for a moment, and she manages to make herself speak despite how it catches in her throat, "Lila." God, I'm afraid of my own shadow, she thinks in frustration.

"Nice to meet you, Lila," Janet responds with a soft smile.

They fall back into silence, and then-

"Are you wanting to report him, love? It's just that I'm a copper, so I have to ask."

"He's Queen's Counsel, and I'm a Recorder. It's my bloody first day actually, so I can't-," Lila stammers.

"I see. Well, no one will hear it from me. But Lila, I'd really like you to call me if he tries this again, or if you just want to talk," Janet says, handing her a business card.

Lila nods, finally meeting Janet's eyes with her watery ones.

"Thanks, Janet. It means a lot, really," Lila replies sincerely.

"It's the least I can do, I wish I could do more," Janet responds, still studying Lila with concern.

"You've done enough, I promise," Lila says with a faint smile. "I really better get back, or they'll be reconsidering why they hired me," she adds, standing up.

"Okay, love. You go show those men how it's done, eh?" Janet says as she stands as well.

Lila gives her a real smile before unlocking the bathroom door and returning to her chambers.


End file.
